Honestly, so many different wacky things happened throughout the rest of Swiss Army Man that is was sometimes hard to keep track of it all. With the slightly-convoluted plot of Manny believing he has a wife and a happy life, I totally believed it. Maybe I was supposed to notice that it was Hank's phone from the get-go, but if I was, I totally missed it. I only question whether I was supposed to know or not, because the "reveal" to Manny that this is the case is not treated as seriously as I might have expected if I already knew. Still, the twist is just as strong despite being treated in a rather understated manner, and it also made me realize just how sad of a character Hank is meant to be.
Hank and Manny both have a lot of heart and soul. They both care about other people and especially, by halfway into the film, about each other. Radcliffe and Dano are very convincing in their friendship, talking very much like real friends, not "this is the movie trying to tell you that these two characters are friends." I think their performances were crucial to this emotional heart of the film. And in turn, this emotional core is the main reason the movie succeeds.
Aside from all of the times that Manny's powers help them both in a way that is very touching, this emotional core is best exemplified in the scene where Hank pretends to be Sarah. The way this entire scene is shot is dreamy and almost psychedelic. We feel as lost in the moment as they do. Since we know Manny doesn't understand much, we allow ourselves to believe that Hank with a wig is just as beautiful to Manny as the real Sarah would be in that moment. We know that it's about what Hank represents, not what he actually looks like in that moment.
Some people would argue that this scene is "gay". And of course if it was, that would be fine too. And certainly, it doesn't shy away from allowing Hank and Manny to have some sort of ambiguously romantic intimacy in the special moment, when the audience is placing themselves in Manny's imagination. And actually, this gay/not-gay theme is played with again later in the film when Hank kisses Manny for air, but he like MAKES OUT with Manny for it, probably just because he needs the most air but again, it leaves room open for interpretation.
However, I also think that this scene is meant to show their strong love for each other in general, not in an inherently romantic sense of course. Especially Hank's love for Manny in this moment. For most men, putting on a wig and acting like a woman is obviously and inherently pretty emasculating. It can be an uncomfortable and insecure feeling. But we see that Hank allows himself not only to be vulnerable for Manny's sake in this way but also to allow himself to be the subject of Manny (a dead man!)'s fantasy because he knows how much it would mean to Manny. Dano does a great job by actually physically acting the part of a loving companion. He acts very girlfriendy, leaning on Manny romantically. It legitimately cute and it adds to the comedy of the film of course, too.
He's not reluctant, he really wants Manny to feel what love is like. Maybe because Hank wants that so much himself, too. He's being the Sarah of his own fantasies. He is doing all of this because he knows it'll bring a dead man a little bit more life. He doesn't have to allow Manny to experience this, but he does because he can and he loves Manny. I loved how this was perhaps one of the most comedic scenes in the whole movie, and yet it's so emotionally resonant in the weirdest but most interesting way possible.
The scene is silly, ridiculous, and yet absolutely beautiful.
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